Where rooms are shielded from potentially interfering electromagnetic (EM) fields, as is sometimes necessary in medical imaging suites (such as MRI imaging suites, for example), the transmission of electricity into such rooms can be problematic. For example, it is not possible to use standard electrical supply systems, such as an alternating current form, without special screening in the particularly sensitive area of the medical imaging device (such as MRI, for example) due to the generally large interference fields generated by such electrical supply systems. However, within a medical imaging suite, it is necessary that there is a dependable supply of electrical energy for devices located within the medical imaging suite.
One example of a device often utilized in an imaging suite (such as a shielded MRI room, for example) is a mobile injection system for dispensing contrast fluid to an individual prior to an imaging procedure. The administration and control of the injection system should preferably be undertaken in very close proximity to the individual (who is positioned within the MRI magnet coils, for example). Therefore, the length of any electrical cabling between the electrical supply (which necessarily located outside of the medical imaging room) and the injection system must extend between the medical imaging device (such as MRI) and the extents of the shielded room. An electrical supply cable of such length may result in unacceptable interference fields that adversely affect the quality of the images produced by the medical imaging system.
Therefore, existing devices (such as mobile injection devices) utilize battery sources for supplying direct electrical energy in direct current form. Such battery sources are located within the mobile injection system or in its immediate proximity. One disadvantage of this approach is that the battery must be changed and/or re-charged regularly thereby interfering with the operability of the medical imaging system.
In some other existing systems, a rechargeable accumulator is used instead of a battery. The use of a rechargeable accumulator, however, also requires regular maintenance. For example, the accumulator must be periodically recharged and/or replaced after a certain number of recharging cycles. Such maintenance delays, including the exchange and the associated “running in” of new accumulators, are likewise disadvantageous to the standard long-term operation of the medical imaging system. Furthermore, in existing systems, the malfunction of either a battery or an accumulator, for example, within the imaging suite may lead to potential sources of interference that may, in turn, adversely affect the operation of the imaging system (such as an MRI system, for example).
Thus, there exists a need for a system and process for supplying electrical energy to devices (such as mobile injection units) located within an imaging suite (such as a shielded MRI room, for example) wherein the system and process are operationally secure and require little or no maintenance. Furthermore, there is a need for such a system and process that supplies electrical energy to the medical imaging room (such as a room housing an MRI device) without generating electromagnetic (EM) fields that may interfere with the imaging capabilities of the imaging system.